Streaming has leveled the playing field for how DIY artists get their music into the world. As the cost of producing and releasing music has become more affordable, DIY artists can now access the same global audience and tools as chart-topping artists. They can release music whenever they want, from wherever they want, and collaborate with whomever they want. Their creative world is bigger than ever, and listeners globally can discover them like never before. A quarter of artists who generated over $10,000 in 2022 self-distribute their music to Spotify through an artist distributor like DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, or others — 200% more artists than in 2017.

In the streaming era, sleep sounds and meditation are in high demand, whereas in the purchase era, few people would have bought albums made for these specific reasons. And it’s not just for relaxation: Yoga & fitness, children’s, and holiday music are helping specialist artists generate income like never before. Coupled with the streaming innovations of playlisting, song search, and algorithmic recommendations, it’s now possible to succeed without the traditional needs of album packaging, tour, and promo. New listening experiences are also evolving for these artists, with dedicated app experiences and the thriving ecosystem of bespoke playlists tailored to mood, moment, and motivation.

Streaming is helping more new artists break through — capturing the energy of a world that moves at the speed of social media virality — and enabling them to go from first single to first significant paycheck faster than ever. Within the growing number of artists who generated at least $10,000 per year – 57,000 artists in 2022 – 8% released their first song in the past two years. Alongside their hard work, determination, and artistry, playlisting has helped these artists get discovered and become overnight sensations. Over 275,000 artists were editorially playlisted at least once in 2022. And with streaming, listeners can quickly jump from discovering a breakthrough song to diving into that artist’s entire catalog, accelerating fandom like never before.

Streaming has torn up the rules of topping the charts. Things that were unthinkable a decade ago are now commonplace: going global before waiting to be a hit at home, topping the charts in a country that doesn’t speak your language, having major success without the traditional album cycle. There’s no longer one path to the top, and superstar artists are finding ways to win that are more playful, prolific, and personal than ever before.

Streaming is changing the relationship between songwriters and listeners. Rather than being a behind-the-scenes creative force, songwriters and producers now have increasing ways to be recognized and grow their careers. There is now also an easier route to songwriters being credited as recording artists. 

Whether it’s as a side project or full time, streaming has made it far more feasible for songwriters and producers to also release music — giving them the opportunity to earn royalties for both recording and publishing. And with interactive song credits and “Written By” playlists that showcase the entire catalog of a songwriter or producer, a global audience of music lovers is now falling for the brilliant minds that make such memorable music.

Streaming has given artists a way to be more in tune with their fans and earning potential. With their established fan bases and strong catalogs, these professional artists can now rely on more predictable, ongoing incomes year on year. Streaming data also helps these artists understand more about their audiences, which can inform lucrative decisions about touring and merch. And thanks to playlisting and followers, artists can find new audiences and keep superfans streaming for longer.

Streaming has brought together two generations of listeners for heritage artists: those who were there at the time, and those who are discovering them for the first time. For both groups, streaming makes it easy to navigate extensive catalogs and get right to the songs that move them. There are also novel ways for artists to reinvent and repackage their catalogs to invite fans to celebrate important moments (anniversaries, milestones, new playlists). And there’s the ability to capitalize on unexpected spikes in popularity from sync, social media, and shifts in culture.

In the streaming era, heritage artists can generate perpetual and passive royalties well beyond a release cycle — rather than relying almost exclusively on first-month physical or download sales spikes like in the past. In recent years, the value of future streaming royalties has driven historic acquisition values of the catalogs of many heritage artists.

There’s been great growth in music markets around the world: The IFPI reported that recorded music revenues grew in every region around the world in 2022. And they reported that streaming revenue grew by more than 20% year on year in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East & North Africa, and Asia.

The switch to streaming by music fans in these markets has brought in huge revenues that would otherwise have been lost to music piracy. As a result, artists in these markets can turn their creativity into full-time careers and help shine a light on more music from their homes. They also have an unprecedented opportunity to take their sound to the world and break through in new markets thanks to the power of playlisting. As of March 2023, Spotify is available in 184 markets, which means more opportunities for artists around the world to reach potential new fans.